Diffusion induced effects on geometry of Ge nanowires

Abstract

We report diffusion induced germanium nanowire growth and its dependence on the Ge evaporation flux. The wires show a growth rate (dL/dt) in agreement with the previously reported models, but detection of anomalies in the grown wires may indicate the prevalence of the direct Ge impinging effect on large diameter wires. Additionally, we demonstrate that change in deposition flux could directly affect the diffusion length of the Ge adatoms on the wire sidewalls. This in turn modifies the geometry of the grown wires by introducing a lateral growth starting from the base of the wire. A detailed understanding of the deposition flux effect on the growth and geometry of wires will result in improved knowledge of physical properties of wires.